9/8/2020
Superintendent's Bulletin #12 - Start of School Information and Updates, SC Meeting September 8, 2020
Dear Families, Students and Staff,
As we approach the opening of school on Wednesday, September 16, I want to take this moment to provide you with information and updates.
- Phase 1 opens for all students on September 16. As you will see in the Phased Plan, in-person learning will be provided to complex students as identified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The families who have children identified in this phase have been sent an email and will have further communication on schedules.
- Belmont SEPAC is holding a Parent Information Session on September 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to talk about school re-opening plans. Ken Kramer and Jonathan Libby from Belmont student services, Briana Wall from Belmont preschool, and Patric Barberi from the LABBB collaborative will be in attendance to listen to parent/guardian comments and answer questions. RSVP by September 8th is requested but not required, and the access information is also located there. Given that this meeting will be in conflict with our middle school meeting referenced below the district will look to record our meetings to provide families with the ability to view needed sessions.
- All other families will begin the school year in a remote setting. These plans were presented to the School Committee August 12.
- The elementary schools held a “remote education orientation” this past Thursday and will follow up with a hybrid information night on Monday September 14. Our middle and high school administration will hold
a remote and hybrid presentations for their families this Wednesday night (BHS) and Thursday night (CMS). The schools will contact families with the presentation details. We hope these sessions allow our educators a chance to answer your questions and provide any updates. As you know, the district has sent an email seeking family decisions on whether they will be electing the hybrid option or the remote only option by September 17, 2020. We realize families may need to change their decision depending on what is best for their family once Phase 3, fully hybrid, is in place, and in the survey email there is a timeframe to do so.
- Student Schedules: Elementary schools sent out teacher/class assignments on September 3. Our middle school administrators sent out an informational email to families this past weekend. Team placement will be sent by September 8, and student schedules on September 14. The high school will send student schedules on September 8th.
- The medical protocols for opening school will be on the Health and Nursing page of the BPS website shortly under the tab Forms and Resources.
The School Committee will be addressing the issue of high school athletics at the Tuesday, September 8 meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and MIAA have provided guidelines and updated protocols for fall athletic programs that will be considered and voted by the School Committee tonight. Belmont Media has informed us there is limited capacity to log into the meeting tonight due to their Zoom availability but the meetings can be viewed on the Belmont Media website:
Respectfully,
John P. Phelan
Superintendent of Schools
Town of Belmont